Spring warning: Leave young wild animals alone

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania. — Whether in their own backyard or high up in the mountains, Pennsylvanians are almost certain to encounter young wildlife this time of year.

Although some cubs may appear abandoned, this is usually not the case. Their mothers are probably watching over them from somewhere nearby.

So if you come across young wildlife, be it deer, birds, raccoons or other animals, it’s best to leave them alone.

“Well-intentioned people may step in to help a cub that appears to be alone, not realizing that its mother is nearby and it doesn’t need help,” said Matthew Schnupp, the Game Commission’s director of wildlife management. “This is one reason why when encounters with young wild animals, leaving young wild animals undisturbed in the wild is usually the best solution.”

Adult animals often abandon their young while searching for food, but they do not go far and return. Wildlife also often relies on a natural defense tactic called the “hide strategy,” in which young animals remain motionless and “hide” in surrounding cover while adults divert the attention of potential predators or other intruders from their young.

Deer use this strategy, and deer calves are sometimes thought to be abandoned when their mothers are actually nearby.

The Game Commission urges people not to interfere with young wild animals or remove wild animals from their natural environment.

Such contact can be harmful to both humans and wildlife. Wild animals can lose their natural fear of humans, making it difficult or even impossible for them to ever live normally in the wild again. And with any interaction with wild animals, there is always the risk of humans becoming infected with diseases or parasites such as fleas, ticks and lice.

Wildlife habituating to humans can also pose a risk to public safety. A few years ago, a one-year-old deer attacked and seriously injured two people. An investigation revealed that a neighboring family had illegally brought the deer into their home and fed it as a fawn. She then continued to feed the deer until the time of the attack.

It is illegal to take or possess wild animals from the wild. Under state law, the penalty for such a violation is a fine of up to $1,500 per animal.

Anyone who illegally captures wild animals is not allowed to keep them under any circumstances. And under an agreement with state health officials, all “high-risk” rabies vector species confiscated after human contact must be euthanized and tested. None of the species may be released back into the wild because the risk of spreading disease is too high.

Animals infected with rabies may not show obvious symptoms but can still transmit the disease. Although any mammal can transmit rabies, the rabies vector species identified in the agreement are skunks, raccoons, foxes, bats, coyotes and marmots.

People can get rabies from the saliva of a rabid animal if they are bitten or scratched, or if the saliva gets into the eyes, mouth, or a fresh wound.

Only wildlife rehabilitators licensed by the Game Commission may care for injured or orphaned wild animals for later release back into the wild. If you come across wildlife that really needs help, you can find a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators on the Pennsylvania Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators website at www.pawr.com.

If you cannot find a wildlife rehabilitator in your area, call the Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD or 1-833-PGC-HUNT.